Ospemifene or (Z)-2-[4-(4-chloro-1,2-diphenyl-but-1-enyl)phenoxy]ethanol is represented by formula (I):

Ospemifene is an estrogen receptor agonist/antagonist currently investigated e.g. for the treatment of vulvar and vaginal atrophy due to menopause.
Preparation of ospemifene starting from Z-4-(4-hydroxy-1,2-diphenyl-but-1-enyl)phenol has been described in WO 96/07402. Use of McMurry coupling reaction for the manufacture of ospemifene has been described in WO 2008/099059 and WO 2011/089385. These methods suffer from the drawback that large amounts of expensive reagents or solvents, such as titanium tetrachloride, LiAlH4, and 2-Me-THF, are needed:
Thus, it is desirable to provide an improved method for producing ospemifene in high yield and purity the method also being economically feasible and suitable for use in a large scale.